Survey of Library Collections Use by Faculty

1
Survey of Library Collections Use by Faculty

• in the Humanities and Social Sciences at the
  University of Georgia

Nan McMurry Kristin Nielsen
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Survey Population

• Franklin College (excluding sciences)
• Business
• Education
• Environment Design
• Journalism
• Family Consumer Sciences
• Public and International Affairs
• Social Work

Faculty Survey
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Survey Distribution
1299 surveys were distributed to faculty
mailboxes in October 2002. Faculty could return
the print survey or take the survey online. The
return deadline was December 2002.
Faculty Survey
4
Response Rates
263 surveys were returned, for an overall
response rate of 20. Response rates for
individual departments ranged from 3 to 100.
Faculty Survey
5
Categories

• Since rates of return varied widely among
  departments, we analyzed the data by the
  following summary categories
• Humanities
• Social Sciences
• Business
• Education
• Family Consumer Sciences (FCS)
• Journalism

Faculty Survey
6
Questions 1 and 2 Visits
1. How often do you come to the library? 2. How
often do you consult library resources (GIL,
GALILEO, etc.) in electronic format from your
home/office?
Faculty Survey
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Visits
Virtual visits outnumber physical visits. 42 of
all faculty surveyed make physical visits to the
library at least weekly. 87 of all faculty
surveyed make virtual visits to library resources
at least weekly.
Faculty Survey
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Visit Library at Least Weekly
95
92
86
75
57
17
Faculty Survey
9
Visit at Least Weekly
89
76
69
16
0
7
Faculty Survey
10
Visits

• Humanities faculty significantly outstrip other
  faculty in frequency of use
• 60 make daily virtual visits
• 75 make weekly physical visits

Faculty Survey
11
Question 3 Importance of Resources

• How important are library resources (print and
  electronic) to your research and teaching?
• Very important
• Somewhat important
• Not very important

Faculty Survey
12
Importance of Resources
Answers displayed greatest unity of any question,
with an average of 94 answering Very
Important Highest 98 (Social
Sciences) Lowest 89 (Journalism)
Faculty Survey
13
Question 4 Resource Types

• How often do you use the following library
  materials (in print as well as electronic
  formats)?
• Books
• Current journals
• Backfiles of journals (older than one year)
• Newspapers
• Government documents
• Special collections materials (rare books,
• archives, audio-visual resources)
• Microfilm collections

Faculty Survey
14
Resource Types

• 71 describe themselves as frequent users of
  books
• 77 describe themselves as frequent users of
  current journals
• 68 describe themselves as frequent users of
  journal backfiles (older than one year)

Faculty Survey
15
Resource Types
Less than 13 of faculty describe themselves as
frequent users of newspapers, microfilm
collections, government documents, and special
collections.
Faculty Survey
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Resource Types
Faculty who describe themselves as either
frequent or occasional users Newspapers
43 Government documents 42 Special
collections 44 Microfilm collections 51
Faculty Survey
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Resource Types Humanities
Faculty Survey
18
Resource Types Social Sciences
Faculty Survey
19
Resource TypesBusiness
Faculty Survey
20
Resource Types Education
Faculty Survey
21
Resource Types FCS
Faculty Survey
22
Resource Types Journalism
Faculty Survey
23
Question 5 Use of Online Resources

• How often do you use the following Web-based
  resources?
• GIL (UGA Library Catalog)
• Online catalogs of other libraries
• GALILEO indexing and abstracting services (MLA,
  Historical Abstracts, PsycINFO, etc.)
• GALILEO full-text databases (JSTOR, Project
• Muse, etc.)
• Web search engines and directories (Google,
  Yahoo, etc.)

Faculty Survey
24
Use of Online Resources
87
26
68
58
86
Faculty Survey
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Use of Online Resources
A strong majority of all faculty describe
themselves as frequent users of GIL Humanities
98 Social Sciences 89 Business 77 Education
82 FCS 69 Journalism 100
Faculty Survey
26
Use of Online Resources
Family Consumer Sciences faculty are more
likely to be frequent users of search engines
(77) than any library resource. Business
faculty place frequent use of GALILEO full-text
databases and search engines in a dead heat (86
each).
Faculty Survey
27
Question 6 Reference Sources

• How often do you use the following library
  reference sources?
• Indexes and abstracts in print format
• Indexes and abstracts in electronic format
  (databases)
• National bibliographies
• Books in print for countries other than the U.S.
• Bibliographies specific to your discipline
• Encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks

Faculty Survey
28
Reference Sources
All Schools Frequently Occasionally Rarely or Never
Print indexes 12 45 41
Electronic indexes 51 35 13
National bibliographies 12 35 51
Foreign books in print 14 24 61
Discipline-specific bibliographies 38 35 26
Encyclopedias 24 44 31
Faculty Survey
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Reference Sources
Humanities faculty make greater use of a greater
variety of types of sources. Humanities faculty
posted the highest percentage of frequent users
of National Bibliographies 24 Foreign Books in
Print 26 Discipline-specific bibliographies
66 Encyclopedias 50
Faculty Survey
30
Question 7 Top 3 Reference Sources
Please list the titles of the top three reference
sources (databases, indexes, bibliographies,
etc.) that you consider essential for doing
research in your field.
Faculty Survey
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Top 3 Reference Sources
The 263 respondents listed 159 different
reference sources by title.
102 of these titles were named by only one
faculty member.
Faculty Survey
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Top 3 Reference Sources
All of the top ten choices were electronic
10. Medline 9. WorldCat 8. EBSCO 7. Lexis
Nexis 6. Web of Science 5. ABI Inform 4.
JSTOR 3. PsycINFO 2. ERIC 1. MLA
Bibliography
Faculty Survey
33
Top 3 Reference Sources

• Sources named by a large number of people and
  across the widest variety of departments
• ABI Inform Lexis Nexis
• EBSCO PsycINFO
• ERIC Web of Science
• JSTOR

Faculty Survey
34
Question 8 Research Methods
When identifying library materials for research
or teaching purposes, how often do you use the
following resources/ methods?

• General GALILEO Databases
• Databases or print indexes specific to your
  discipline
• Footnotes bibliographies in books or articles
• Browsing the library shelves
• Recommendations of colleagues
• Internet listservs

Faculty Survey
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Research Methods
Frequent Users
Faculty Survey
36
Research Methods
Frequent Users
Faculty Survey
37
Question 9 Foreign Languages

• How often do you use library materials in
  languages other than English?
• Frequently
• Occasionally
• Rarely or Never

Faculty Survey
38
Foreign Languages
Field Frequently Occasionally Rarely or Never
Humanities 46 30 23
Soc Sciences 23 11 64
Business 0 9 89
Education 2 11 86
FCS 8 8 85
Journalism 0 11 89
All Schools 21 16 61
Faculty Survey
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Questions 10 11 Journal Backfiles
10. How often do you use backfiles of journals
more than ten years old? 11. Under what
circumstances should journal backfile volumes be
sent to the Libraries Repository?
Faculty Survey
40
Journal Backfiles
Frequent users of journals more than 10 years
old
Faculty Survey
41
Journal Backfiles
Frequent occasional users of journals more
than 10 years old
Faculty Survey
42
Journal Backfiles
When can we send journal backfiles to the
Repository?
Faculty Survey
43
Journal Backfiles to Repository

• Not surprisingly
• The heaviest users of older journals are the most
  opposed to their being sent to the Repository
• Less frequent users specify a shorter timeframe
  before journals are sent to the Repository

Faculty Survey
44
Journal Backfiles to Repository
Why not send them to the Repo?
Its inconvenient
Browsing is vital to research
Missing the serendipity factor
Electronic is not an acceptable substitute
(images, graphs, pagination, incomplete coverage)
Should use criteria other than date (journal
quality, usage level)
Faculty Survey
45
Question 12 Format Types
In what format(s) do you use the following
resources? (please check all that apply) Books
Journals Newspapers Government
documents Collections of primary
sources Options for each were Print
Electronic Microfilm/fiche N/A
Faculty Survey
46
Format Types Current Use
All Fields
Faculty Survey
47
Format Types Current Use
All Fields
Faculty Survey
48
Question 13 Format Preferences
Which statement best represents your preferences
concerning information formats?

• I prefer to use library materials in electronic
  format whenever possible.
• I prefer to use library materials in print
  format whenever possible.
• Format makes little or no difference to me as
  long as the material is available.

Faculty Survey
49
Format Preferences
Humanities
Prefer electronic 16
No difference 30
Prefer print 58
Faculty Survey
50
Format Preferences
Social Sciences
Prefer electronic 34
No difference 30
Prefer print 31
Faculty Survey
51
Format Preferences
Business
No difference 14
Prefer print 11
Print 44
Print 58
Prefer electronic 71
Faculty Survey
52
Format Preferences
Education
No difference 26
Prefer electronic 54
Prefer print 21
Faculty Survey
53
Format Preferences
Family Consumer Sciences
No difference 15
Prefer electronic 54
Prefer print 31
Faculty Survey
54
Format Preferences
Journalism
Prefer electronic 22
No difference 33
Prefer print 44
Faculty Survey
55
Electronic Print No Difference
Format Preferences
Humanities
Business
Social Sciences
Print 58
Journalism
FCS
Education
56
Format Preferences

• Sample comments
• I prefer journals in electronic format and books
  in print
• I prefer electronic format, but availability
  should be the priority
• the electronic format allows me to access the
  material from home, even when Im working at
  midnight! It is a much more efficient research
  method for me.

Faculty Survey
57
Format Preferences

• Sample comments
• Electronic is backup, searchable, but not a
  substitute for print
• Access to visual information (photography and
  visual art) is often better in a print format
• The electronic format is ok only if the page
  numbers and volume numbers are available
• Print is 10 times easier on my eyes and 20 times
  easier to move through!

Faculty Survey
58
Question 14 Format Availability
Which statement best represents your view of the
availability of essential research tools
(indexes, bibliographies, etc.) in your
discipline?

• Most of the essential research tools in my field
  are available in electronic format.
• Some essential research tools are available in
  electronic format, but others are available only
  in print.
• Most of the essential research tools in my field
  are available only in print format.

Faculty Survey
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Format Availability
Summary Electronic Mixture Print
Humanities 14 61 23
Social Sciences 30 62 10
Business 34 57 3
Education 33 60 7
FCS 8 69 23
Journalism 11 89 0
All Schools 25 62 13
Faculty Survey
60
Question 15 Core vs. Unique Resources
When purchasing new resources, the library should
(please check one answer)

• Place greater emphasis on acquiring core
  resources in electronic format, even if they
  duplicate materials already held in print
• Place greater emphasis on acquiring new or
  unique materials not already held in another
  format

Faculty Survey
61
Core vs. Unique Resources
No Response 4
Duplicate Core 13
Acquire New/Unique 84
Faculty Survey
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Core vs. Unique Resources
No Response 11
Duplicate Core 25
Acquire New/Unique 66
Faculty Survey
63
Core vs. Unique Resources
No Response 11
Acquire New/Unique 23
Duplicate Core 66
Faculty Survey
64
Core vs. Unique Resources
No Response 9
Acquire New/Unique 37
Duplicate Core 54
Faculty Survey
65
Core vs. Unique Resources
No Response 23
Duplicate Core 31
Acquire New/Unique 46
Faculty Survey
66
Core vs. Unique Resources
No Response 22
Duplicate Core 22
Acquire New/Unique 56
Faculty Survey
67
Duplicate New/Unique No Response
Core vs. Unique Resources
Humanities
Social Sciences
Business
Journalism
Education
FCS
68
Core vs. Unique Resources
Sample comments

• Id prefer core materials available in digital
  format and less-central materials accessed via
  ILL.
• the key goal should be to acquire as much as
  possible, not duplicate materials at the expense
  of not acquiring new materials

Faculty Survey
69
Core vs. Unique Resources
Sample comments

• Most of us are, by now, comfortable with either
  format therefore it seems that diversity of
  materials, NOT updating of format, should be the
  priority.
• Breadth is always more important (But then Im
  right across the street)

Faculty Survey
70
Core vs. Unique Resources
Sample comments

• Hard call I changed my mind twice on this. A
  balance between the two is optimum, of course
• This is a tough one. Electronic is key, but not
  at the expense of getting something important.
• Not sure, leave it to you

Faculty Survey
71
Question 16 Print Journal Subscriptions
If the library acquires access to a journal in
electronic format, it should (please check one
answer)

• Cancel the subscription to the print format of
  the journal
• Continue the subscription to the print format of
  the journal to ensure that back issues will be
  available in the future

Faculty Survey
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Print Journal Subscriptions
Areas that expressed a strong preference for
continuing the print subscription
Area Cancel Continue
Humanities 15 78
Soc Sci 21 75
Education 16 75
Journalism 11 67
Faculty Survey
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Print Journal Subscriptions
Areas that were divided over the issue.
Area Cancel Continue
Business 43 54
FCS 46 54
Faculty Survey
74
Print Journal Subscriptions
Sample comments

• Unless and until we can be assured of keeping
  historical versions forever, it would be risky
  to dump the print versions
• But cancel only if there are assurances that
  back issues will always be available.
• Never fail to get print format

Faculty Survey
75
Print Journal Subscriptions
Sample comments

• If this is a triage situation, whichever is
  cheaper
• Why wouldnt back issues be available in elec.
  format?
• We should digitize back issues ourselves to
  ensure continued availability

Faculty Survey
76
Question 17 E-Books
How important to your research and teaching needs
is it for the library to purchase e-books
(full-text monographs in electronic format)?

• Very important
• Somewhat important
• Not very important

Faculty Survey
77
Importance of E-Books
Very important 6
All Fields
Somewhat important 27
Not very important 63
Faculty Survey
78
Importance of E-Books

• Sample comments
• Journals are terrific in electronic format
  books are better in print format
• I hate reading e-books--anything longer than a
  journal article is too hard to read/process.
  E-books only marginally better than microfilm.

Faculty Survey
79
Importance of E-Books

• Sample comments
• Ive just discovered netbooks. What a great
  resource!
• Perhaps I would be more enthusiastic about this
  if there were enough titles available in my
  discipline to make looking for e-books worth the
  effort.

Faculty Survey
80
Importance of E-Books

• Sample comments
• I dislike e-books and do not use them I think
  they are a waste of money.
• As yet, e-books seem useless. At worst, they
  might even be part of a conspiracy to move from a
  purchase model to a rental model for library
  materials.

Faculty Survey
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Finally
What does it all mean?
Faculty Survey
82
Library is Central to Faculty Research Teaching

• As evidenced by
• Frequency of visits
• Frequent use of GIL, the libraries catalog
• Frequent use of library books and journals
• Reluctance to send journal backfiles to the
  Repository

Faculty Survey
83
Library is Central to Faculty Research Teaching

• What a great library!
• we are especially well-served by the staff of
  the Main Library who do a fantastic job keeping
  our collection relevant, accessible and
  user-friendly. Thank you.
• I well know how lucky we are to have such a
  fantastic library. For my needs, it seems to
  provide 95 of the items I require.
• I have never been as wonderfully supported by a
  library in my entire career as I have been since
  coming to UGA

Faculty Survey
84
Significant Differences Among Disciplines

• Extensive vs. intensive use of materials
• Receptivity to electronic resources
• Use of foreign language materials

Faculty Survey
85
Diversity Within Schools and Departments
Most questions did not have unanimity of
opinioneven within a single department.
Faculty Survey
86
The Transition to Electronic
Will it really be a straight transition with
electronic eventually replacing all print?
Faculty Survey
87
The Transition to Electronic

• Preferences are rarely all-or-nothing
• Some faculty have specific reasons for disliking
  print or electronic, rather than a simple
  like/dislike
• Some Humanities and Social Sciences faculty
  consider print the gold standard and electronic
  merely auxiliary

Faculty Survey
88
The Transition to Electronic

• Electronic collections of every nature--go for
  it.
• I really appreciate the effort that the library
  has done in the past years to increase the number
  of journals online. It has made teaching and
  research so much easier.

Faculty Survey
89
The Transition to Electronic

• While electronic sources are useful, the
  director of the libraries should remain keenly
  aware of the vital importance of print materials
  to us. The book remains a thing of great beauty
  in addition to being a useful source that one can
  hold in his hands and ponder at length. It would
  be a great mistake to fall victim to the fanciful
  notion that electronic materials are superior to
  the printed book and the printed journals. View
  electronic materials as an aide, not as a
  replacement for the pillars of civilized society,
  and your priorities will be straight!

Faculty Survey
90
Whats Next
How can this guide our future collection
decisions?
Faculty Survey
91
UGA Libraries Faculty Survey
Presentation and full report available G\UGALib
s\Collection Development\ Faculty Survey
Faculty Survey